UN chief designates Ibrahim Thiaw as acting Executive Secretary of UNFCCC

The Secretary-General of the United Nations has designated the Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw, to be the Acting Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), effective 17 July 2022, and until a new Executive Secretary is appointed.

Thiaw, in a statement on Tuesday 21 June 2022 said “I am confident that together with Deputy Executive Secretary Sarmad Ovais and the UNFCCC senior management, the continuity will be uninterrupted during this transitional period to deliver on the ambitious agenda ahead of UNFCCC COP27.

“I also remain committed to ensuring that there will be no disruption in the dispensing of my functions as Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and, particularly, the delivery of the mandate the UNCCD Parties have entrusted me with at COP15.

“I look forward to working with the Secretary-General and UNFCCC Parties to facilitate a smooth transition to the next UNFCCC leadership and extend my thanks to the UNCCD COP15 President, the Bureau and staff for the willingness to share my time with our sister Convention.”